The Minnesota Twins are in a tricky spot ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. On one hand, the Twins are in the middle of the American League playoff race, sitting two games back of the final Wild Card spot and 4.5 games back of first place in the AL Central Division entering Tuesday’s game against the Houston Astros. On the other, the Twins are 41-45 and may have several needs to fill as the deadline approaches.
While there’s an argument to sell, fans – and perhaps chairman Tom Pohlad – are encouraging the team to buy and a reason to invest may be because of their offense.
The Twins enter Tuesday with the second-best offense in the American League and rank seventh in MLB with 4.85 runs per game. With the Twins’ lineup raking and some upside in the coming weeks, Minnesota could find themselves as surprise buyers and could find ways to cut down their list of needs during an important month of July.
The Twins’ offense could get even better ahead of the trade deadline
Minnesota’s lineup has been solid this season at first glance, but it’s not a fluke when you look at their other numbers. In addition to scoring runs, the Twins rank first in average (.288) and OPS (.829) with runners in scoring position this season. They also rank eighth in slugging percentage (.413), and ninth in home runs (107), batting average and OPS (.734), signaling a deep lineup that can battle with any of the top lineups in baseball.
There’s a chance these numbers could get better in the near future. Ryan Jeffers has been on the shelf since fracturing the hamate bone on May 18 and is one of the top trade candidates ahead of the deadline. But before he got hurt, he was one of the best hitters on the Twins, posting a .295/.408/.541 batter’s line with seven homers and 26 RBI in 37 games.
The Twins have also gotten results from their new infield. Brooks Lee is hitting .254/.313/.515 with nine homers and 23 RBI since moving to third base on May 20 and 14-for-47 (.318) with three homers, eight RBI, two doubles and a triple in his past 11 games.
Royce Lewis has also responded well since returning from his demotion in May, hitting .277/.322/.518 with five homers and 10 RBI in 21 games including a solo home run in Monday’s 5-4 win over the Astros.
With Lewis at first base, the infield appears to be set, but there could be more reinforcements on the way. Kaelen Culpepper has done nothing but hit this season with a .269/.372/.490 batter’s line with 14 homers, 43 RBI and 15 stolen bases at Triple-A St. Paul and could be an injury or a slump away from finally reaching the majors.
There’s also a chance that either Matt Wallner or top prospect Walker Jenkins could join the outfield as the Twins look ways to get even more out of their offense down the stretch.
If the Twins keep hitting and find a player or two that can add an additional boost, it could make life easier at the deadline. Minnesota needs bullpen help after Anthony Banda suffered a lat strain that could keep him out for months in Sunday’s win over the Colorado Rockies and just adding a strong arm in general would be a good idea for a reliever group that ranks last in MLB with a 5.50 ERA.
A back-end starter could be another item the Twins look for at the deadline, but part of that could be solved if Bailey Ober and Mick Abel return from injuries.
Again, there’s a case for the Twins to sell and maximize the return of players like Joe Ryan and Jeffers at the deadline. But that case shrinks if the lineup keeps hitting and the Twins stay within striking distance of a playoff spot in the American League. It may not be enough to pull a surprise World Series run, but it’s enough of an opportunity to do something different and invest in a team that, if anything, has had plenty of success at the plate.
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